Disclaimer:Don't own them, don't make any money off of this.
Warnings: Male/Male sex, graphic, language, violence, attempted NCS
Kracken
Disclaimer:I don't own them and I don't make any money off of this
Warning:Male/male sex, graphic, language, violence, attempted NCS
Soldier Boys
sequel to Excursions
Secrets
"A distraction," Heero said suddenly.
Duo blinked. "Huh?"
"One moment." Without any other explanation, Heero ducked into a shop.
Duo tried not to look as if he were loitering while he waited, moving further down the street slowly. When Heero caught up with him, the man had a small, white bag clutched in one hand.
"An offering?" Duo wondered with a smirk.
"It will put him off balance and we may avoid arguments," Heero replied. "We need to leave without anyone noticing us."
"He does have a temper," Duo agreed. "If someone spots us having a fight in the street, they may get suspicious and tail us back to home base."
Heero nodded. He was frowning.
Duo sighed. "Come on, Heero! Don't start thinking that this was all a mistake, okay? You know you had fun and you know we managed to get some pretty damned good information while we were at it. We didn't jeopardize the cause by taking a day off."
Heero didn't say anything and Duo sighed again.
"You're going to have to tell me what they said to you that makes you think that you aren't worthy of having a life, Heero," Duo said in exasperation, but then, when Heero frowned even more, "Yeah, I know, later."
"There is Wu Fei," Heero said and they spotted him slouched in the car in the back seat, looking like he were both trying to avoid notice and doze at the same time. When he saw them approaching, he sat up and looked very angry.
"Don't keep watching the street," Duo warned as Heero began scanning their surroundings. "That makes people wonder what you're up to. Just relax and concentrate on calming our pissed off comrade down."
"Where have you been?" Wu Fei asked in an icy, seething tone, his dark eyes slits of glittering anger.
"Seeing the sights," Duo couldn't help saying as he opened the driver's side door and slid in. Heero climbed into the passenger side.
"It has been hours!" Wu Fei snarled. "The note that you left did not explain anything. I was preparing to leave without you to inform Quatre and Trowa that you had been captured."
"You were going on foot?" Duo wondered innocently, suspecting that Wu Fei didn't know how to drive a car. He tempered that question by saying quickly, "Look, sorry, okay? We don't get out much, you know? We got a little crazy with our freedom. I should have left a better note."
Wu Fei, surprisingly, settled back in his seat, still looking irritated, but willing to admit, "I also took some advantage of the circumstances. There is a small community to the East of immigrants from L5." He touched the brown package next to him. "They were very helpful in obtaining what I required. There was also a small temple there..." he trailed off as if suddenly embarrassed and looked out of the window.
"So, you weren't waiting long," Duo chuckled as he turned on the engine and pulled away from the curb. "That's okay. You guys have got to stop feeling so damned guilty about enjoying yourselves."
Silence greeted that comment. Duo looked at Heero and then in the rear view mirror at Wu Fei. Both of the young men were looking grim as if staring inwardly at very bad memories. Duo snatched the bag out of Heero's hand and tossed it over the back of the seat at Wu Fei. Wu Fei caught it deftly in surprise.
"A present for you, Wu Fei," Duo told him.
Wu Fei was startled now and confused. He opened the bag and looked inside. His eyes lit up and then a small smile played over his lips. "Thank you," he said with a small bow.
"Heero didn't tell me what it was," Duo said. "If it's food, do you wanna share?"
"Of course," Wu Fei replied. He reached into the bag, took out two, large, wrapped balls, and then handed them to Heero. Heero unwrapped one and handed it to Duo.
Duo looked at what he held and then gave a long suffering sigh. "A ball of rice?" It was still warm and it smelled good, but Duo couldn't understand why both Heero and Wu Fei seemed so excited about it. Glancing aside at Heero, he could see the man biting into his own meal with relish. Well, Duo thought to himself, if a ball of rice could get those godawful guilty looks off their faces, he'd personally buy them a truckload.
Duo wanted to avoid talking about their new intelligence, but he knew that he couldn't stop it. Halfway back to the safe house, Heero broached the subject and Wu Fei was wanting all the information that they had. The intense light in his eyes told Duo that their time to relax was definitely over.
Duo pulled into the space next to the hanger and they all climbed out. He stretched languidly, hands above his head and body arching into it. When he relaxed again, he saw Heero staring at him with an odd expression on his face.
"Something wrong?" Duo wondered.
Heero ducked his head, muttered something, and then strode off towards the house. Duo shrugged and began following him, Wu Fei keeping pace beside him. He found himself staring at Heero's back; the long lean line of him and his strong shoulders. A warm flush crept over Duo's skin. When Wu Fei made a small noise, Duo looked nervously at the young man and felt embarrassed, though he couldn't have said why.
Wu Fei appeared to be slightly disapproving. Two odd looks from two different quarters was too much for Duo. "What?" Duo asked in exasperation.
"If our new operation is a success, I will not have anything to say," Wu Fei replied cryptically and moved ahead of Duo.
"I don't get it!" Duo called after him in frustration. "Jeez! You and Heero... Why don't you two just come out and tell me what the hell's on your mind?"
Heero just hurried his steps as if eager to avoid having to reply and Wu Fei paced sedately as if he were a million miles away and didn't hear Duo.
Duo followed them into the house, even more frustrated. When he saw Quatre, his frustration with the other two young men was forgotten. The pilot of Sandrock was standing just inside the door to greet them. He was knotting his hands together nervously, a faint blush pinking his cheeks. He looked upset, Duo thought, and his eyes searched for Trowa.
"What's going on Quatre?" Duo asked softly. "You look upset."
Trowa came slowly down the stairs, hands in his pockets and his face unreadable. Quatre's nervousness increased and Duo began to be concerned. Quatre was obviously trying not to look at Trowa as the young man walked slowly over to the couch and sat down.
"So, you managed to all return in one piece," Trowa said as he picked up a book from a side table and made himself more comfortable.
"I know that we are long overdue," Heero began and looked almost ashamed of himself, "but there were necessary-"
"Quatre and I made good use of the peace and quiet while you were gone," Trowa replied dismissively.
Heero blinked and then flushed.
"Tea anyone?" Quatre suddenly piped in and his voice cracked with nervousness. Mortified at himself, he turned and went into the kitchen.
Wu Fei looked from Trowa to where Quatre had gone. He gave a small shake of his head and made that disapproving noise again. "I will be with my Gundam," he announced to no one in particular and went without another word.
"I need to begin research on our new target," Heero said, his expression going suddenly flat, and then he was taking the stairs two at a time to the bedroom and his laptop.
"New target?" Trowa asked as he dropped his book aside on the table again.
Duo narrowed eyes at him, ignoring the question . "Okay, what's going on? What's with Quatre?"
Trowa raised eyebrows, but his expression went very warm and he was having a difficult time controlling a smile. "Ask him that and let him answer if he wants to. What passes between us, I consider, none of your concern."
"I thought that you were friends," Duo retorted. "If you were just waiting for us to go away long enough to mess with Quatre-"
"Duo!" Quatre exclaimed as he came from the kitchen with several chipped cups and a battered tea kettle. He put them aside on a table and went to stand between Duo and Trowa, hands clenched together again. "It's- It's not like that at all!" His blush looked red enough to be a sunburn now and he couldn't meet Duo's eyes. "We....," he floundered.
"You don't need to explain anything to him," Trowa interjected quietly.
"He does if you've been picking a fight with him!" Duo countered, furious now at Trowa's calm.
"We weren't fighting," Trowa replied.
"No, we weren't, Duo," Quatre said and smiled shakily. "Thank you for trying to help me, but... really, Trowa and I... we...," he floundered again and that was so unlike the usually eloquent, Quatre that Duo wasn't ready to believe that Trowa wasn't intimidating the blonde somehow.
Duo stepped forward and faced Trowa squarely. "Look, man! I know we're supposed to be working together, and that we're supposed to be a team, but I'm not letting you push Quatre around. If you got something against him, leave it at the door. This war is more important than crap like that! The colonies are depending on us!"
Trowa remained calm and it looked like arrogance to Duo, especially when he said, "You're refusing to listen, so I refuse to discuss this any further."
"Wrong!" Duo snarled, pointing a finger at Trowa. "You are gonna tell me that you won't mess with Quatre any more, because if you don't, I'm will kick your-."
"Duo!" Quatre snapped in an exasperated tone. He grabbed Duo's finger, used leverage to spin the pilot of Deathsycthe around, and then suddenly had Duo's arm pulled up behind his back at a painful angle. His other arm locked around Duo's throat, expertly pinning Duo against his chest. "I thank you for trying to defend me," Quatre said gently and sincerely, "but you can see that I can defend myself? Trowa and I are NOT fighting. In fact.... we... we used our time alone to talk about things... to get to know one another better. I am embarrassed because... well, imagine telling all of your troubles to a sympathetic soul... It's like getting stripped bare."
There was an amused snort from Trowa and Quatre shifted and gave him an embarrassed look that Duo missed in his awkward position. "He speaks the truth, Duo," Trowa said.
Duo exclaimed in angry defeat, "Okay! Okay! Let me go!"
Quatre released Duo and stepped back. When Duo turned, rubbing his arm, he apologized in concern. "I'm sorry, Duo, I didn't mean to be so rough."
Duo replied sullenly, but offering an apology of his own, "I guess that I always thought that, outside of a Gundam, that you were pretty much a pacifist. I didn't think you could fight like that."
"I trained," Quatre said slightly irritated, "Not like the rest of you, but I do know how to defend myself."
Duo scowled and his voice had an edge to it as he replied, "You'd think I would know by now not to trust the people I'm trying to save."
"What?" Trowa wondered in confusion.
Duo shook his head, not explaining his cryptic remark. He said instead, "Okay, so you two are bosom buddies now that you've had a coffee clutch and shared all your secrets? Sorry I took it wrong. Can I go now? I'll remember to mind my own business next time."
Quatre looked contrite. "Duo. I'm sorry. I know you meant well and I do appreciate your concern, truly I do."
Trowa snorted. "I think that I have been insulted, so I don't know what you are apologizing for, Quatre." He gave Duo a serious scowl. "I do not go around terrorizing my comrades. When you are a mercenary, that type of behavior will get you quickly killed. Everyone's life depends on unity."
"It was like that on the streets of L2, too, but there as a pecking order," Duo told him and then made a dismissive motion. "Okay, okay, sorry I jumped to conclusions. Quatre was acting weird though, you gotta admit. I've never seen him without something smart to say."
There was suddenly the groan of old water pipes being turned on. Duo's eyes went wide and the conversation was forgotten as he leapt for the stairs and began running up them two at a time. "Oh, no you don't! That hot water is mine, Yuy!"
Duo threw off his shirt halfway up the stairs and left it hanging from the railing as he struggled with the belt and snap of his jeans. When he reached the top, he pelted towards the room he shared with Heero, only slowing to awkwardly hop out of his jeans. Dressed only in his tight underwear, then, he threw himself through the door and saw Heero, also only in his underwear, standing in the door of the bathroom and preparing to close it.
"No! I go first!" Duo shouted and insinuated his body between the door and the jam. He couldn't stop his momentum and he couldn't stop himself from barreling into Heero.
Heero automatically grabbed Duo to keep him from hitting the old tile and they fell in a heap, Duo on top and Heero looking winded. Duo took advantage and began scrambling for the running shower. Heero grabbed his ankle and twisted. Duo fell again and Heero snagged his slim waist and pulled him to the floor as he surged up and made his own bid for the shower.
Duo hooked Heero's legs with his and grabbed Heero's underwear to pull him off balance. Heero came down hard on the tile, but he fell fighting, arms and legs tangling with Duo's and effectively keeping Duo from getting away. They struggled, neither able to break the other's hold, and then Duo stopped fighting, nose to nose and body to body with Heero as they lay side by side on the cold tile; locked together.
"Might as well stop," Duo said irritably through pants of exhaustion. "The hot water just ran out." He scowled. "It was MY turn. You got the hot water last time."
Their lean, hard torsos were pressed together. They were sweating and both
of them were breathing hard. Heero suddenly felt very warm and he blinked with
almost frightened dark, blue eyes as he struggled to speak. "I... was...
"
Duo felt the hot flush travel over Heero's body just as he became aware of the
fact that he had almost pulled Heero's underwear down and that a large portion
of Heero's hip was visible. He felt a hot flush of his own as he tried to push
away in embarrassment. "Sorry, man. Didn't mean to get carried away. I
just wanted a damn hot shower for once."
Heero's arms, unaccountably, didn't let go of him and those dark eyes stared intensely into his own. Duo felt how very strong those arms were and he suddenly knew that it hadn't been a contest at all. Heero could have easily beaten him and hadn't.
"Uhm..." Duo flushed even hotter. "You gonna let go?"
A part of Duo's brain protested that it didn't want Heero to let go, that it was enjoying the feel of a half clothed pelvis pressing into his. That thought flustered Duo, and he began pushing against Heero hard, not liking the confusion, not liking feeling trapped.
Heero's face suddenly took on a familiar expression. Duo had only a moment to realize that it was the same look that he had seen on Heero's face when he had felt guilty about enjoying himself, and then Heero was releasing him abruptly and scrambling to his feet. Heero turned his face away from Duo and left the bathroom in a hurry.
Duo sat up, completely confused, and leaned so that he could see through the door into the bedroom. He was in time to see Heero snatch his clothes up from the bed and bolt out of the door.
Duo continued to sit, trying to make sense out of what had just happened. How had a stupid bit of horseplay turned into.... He thought of Heero's taught belly and his pelvis pressed against his own, the man's blue eyes, and his heat. Duo crossed his arms over his chest and squeezed tight as he realized that he had been excited by that, by Heero's body. "Oh, Jeez!" he swore in a choked voice. "I-I'm... Am I? Heero... that must be what he thinks. He ran because... Oh, Jeez! Heero thinks I'm gay! I totally creeped him out!"
Duo stood shakily, turned off the water, and went to get his priest clothes.
When he was dressed again, he tried to think what to do, tried to sort out his
roiling thoughts. "I gotta make this right, somehow," he thought out
loud and then defensively, "Hey, I'm young, so I have to expect... stuff
like that, right? Doesn't mean I like... Doesn't mean..." He headed for
the door, hand clutching his cross in agitation as he growled to himself, "Why
am I trying to convince myself? It's Heero I need to straighten out. How can
we be friends if he thinks I... Man, I gotta go explain..."